What A World Of Injustice That We Live In
by As Black As Your Soul
Summary: Setting: Manga. In which Hide lets himself get eaten by Kaneki, and self-interpretation of what might have run through his mind then.
1. Chapter 1

Kaneki… Something told him that Kaneki would be here soon. Hide stood in the sewer and grimaced. He knew that if Kaneki really comes, he probably wouldn't have much to live, but for his sake, his best friend's sake, he wouldn't mind. As long as the half-ghoul stays alive, he would do anything, even die for his sake.

"Ha… I'm so pathetic, aren't I? I just want to see you, Kaneki, so please come quick."

* * *

"I already knew, man! Who cares about that, let's just go home already." He knew it wouldn't be that easy. He knew that from the moment he identified the silhouette of the person stumbling into the sewers. Will he even be able to make it back home? Probably not.

"I want to help you! Going by the surrounding feel and they way they've blocked off routes… There's almost no chance of a ghoul making it out…" He frowned, was there even a way to help his friend? He had just met his friend after all those months and he really did want to help, but would he even be able to?

"Hide, I hear these voices… Run away or I'll-" _No, I'm not leaving you, not after just meeting you, not like this._

"…That's a nasty wound… Sorry, can you fight with all you've got just one more time?"

* * *

"I have had such a hard time looking for you, so don't disappear from my side, ever again. Rabbits die of loneliness, y'know." He reached forward, and placed his arms on his friend's shoulders, feeling a familiar sensation prickling his eyes. He wondered if Kaneki could even hear him anymore.

 **Blood stained the ghoul's lips - he was so far gone, so far lost in his hunger.**

"It doesn't matter how many friends I have, you are the only one I need. If even you disappear, how can I live? So, it is for the best that you live, even at the expanse of my death. Ha… I suppose we are both selfish, eh?" _Indeed they were selfish, Kaneki for his martyr's way of thinking, and him for so desperately wanting to salvage whatever was left of their friendship_.

 **It hurts, it hurts so bad, but for Kaneki, this is nothing.**

Blood dribbled from his mouth. He fought to cling on to the last of his consciousness, and hugged his friend like how he used to, "Hey Kaneki, promise me one thing… no matter what we become, humans, ghouls, or neither, promise me that you will be my best friend again in our next life… won't you?"

 **This is the end, isn't it? If only we could return to how we used to be in the past. But that's impossible, isn't it?**

He watched as Kaneki's eye flickered to black for just an instant. But it was just an instant. It could have been the trick on his eyes, but he wanted to believe that Kaneki could hear me. _He had sometime envisioned how he would die, but dying in a sewer was never something he would have imagined._ Now that he had said all that he had wanted to, he could fall into that abyss of darkness awaiting him.

 **Goodbye, Kaneki.**

 **Perhaps in our next life, we will be born into a world of less injustice.**


	2. Chapter 2: Reborn

He leaned against the table and stared.

There was something about the black haired employee that he could not put a name too… Perhaps they knew each other? Nah, he would surely remember meeting such a cute new face.

Piercing brown eyes narrowed in on the employee's nametag.

"Kaneki… Ken," he muttered.

"Yeah?" oops, did he say it too loudly? The black haired boy turned around to face Hide, and his eyes widened a fraction. Something shot through his body then - no it was not any of that love at first sight thing, he did not believe in that crap, but more like a sense of familiarity. He knew that the other must have felt it too, gauging from his reaction.

…That aside, he wanted his coffee. He shook his head and quickly gave his orders, making sure to maintain eye contact with the employee, who fidgeted under his gaze. _So he is a shy one._ He beamed at the other boy, successfully maximizing his sunshine aura. _He wanted to know more about this boy. Maybe he is what he had been looking for his whole life._

He gulped down the last of his coffee and walked towards the exit, pausing only to stretch. He was sharp, and he could feel the other boy's gaze on him. He turned around and smiled, "Yo Kaneki, meet me tomorrow at Big Girl, see ya then!" Then he put on his headphones and walked away, leaving the boy spluttering in his wake.

* * *

Kaneki was confused. Very confused. He watched as the customer with bleached blonde hair leave the coffeeshop. Had they met before? He doesn't know many people so surely meeting such a boy would leave an impression of sorts on him. Then, how? How was it that he was so intrigued by the boy? He did not know what it was, but he felt like there was more to the boy than there looks.

"Yo Kaneki, meet me tomorrow at Big Girl, see ya then!"

Blood rushed to his cheeks instantaneously. Wha-What? They barely even knew each other. He didn't even know the other's name! His eyes widened at the realisation.

"Oi bakaneki, don't go all lovey-dovey on me now," a purple-haired girl grumbled and slapped his head, snapping him back to reality instantly.

"Ah right, I'm sorry," he smiled sheepishly, as he made his way back to the counter.

"... And by the way, there is something sticking out of your pocket."

Eh? He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small strip of paper.

There was a number and a name, " **Hide** ", scrawled on it, in chicken-scratch handwriting. Hide. There was a nice ring to it. There was no doubt this note was from the blonde haired customer from before. Seems like there is a call he would have to make later.

* * *

AN: I strongly suspect that I express angst better than light-hearted emotions whoops. I kind of planned this to be a multiverse (sort-of) fic bc Hide and Kaneki deserve to be happy too :') On another note, I have absolutely no idea how to continue from here on but I suppose I will try...


End file.
